Friday, September 6, 2013

Noam Chomsky: Rebel without a Pause

2004, 57m
Chomsky is said to stand side by side with Marx, Shakespeare, Freud, Lenin, Aristotle, Hegel, Cicero, Plato, Chomsky and the Bible among the ten most cited sources ever. This documentary gives a cross sectional picture of Chomsky's views on political matters, as distinct from his scientific research. What emerges is a formidable intellect with an amazing repertoire of facts, and the ability to marshal them into a picture of the world significantly at variance with the one projected by establishments of various shades. He has mentioned that to make an informed judgement of human affairs, no specialized knowledge or training is needed, beyond the willingness to shed prejudice and assumptions ingrained by social brainwashing, things within the reach of laypeople. He says his path breaking scientific achievements in linguistics do not impinge on his political views and are a separate matter. He has a formidable command of history with a tapestry of microscopic detail stretching over centuries. He justifiably prides himself in his non charismatic persona and lack of oratory, but the passion for justice and concern for the trodden, comes through in no uncertain terms as he speaks. In fact his charisma is composed of the solid stuff of his brilliance, clarity, boldness, and unassuming respect for others, not to mention the respectfully attentive ear he lends to even the youngest of his audience. He is a nice person, and a consensual candidate for the title "great man". As he mentions in this video, it takes courage to speak out against the society of which one is a part, and courage is a quality more often than not conspicuously absent in intellectual circles.COMPLETE VIDEO